News / Threat of more strikes at German ports as workers reject 'inadequate' offer

German trade union ver.di has rejected the Central Association of German Seaport Operators’ (ZDS) collective agreement offer, sparking strike fears.  

In the fourth round of negotiations for a new collective agreement for the 11,500 employees of the German North Sea ports last month, ZDS submitted an offer that contained two variants with different durations.  

However, a ver.di member survey last week resulted in both variants being rejected as insufficient, and employees voting for renegotiation. 

“Both variants of the offer… are completely inadequate,” said the union.  

Variant 1 had a term of 12 months and a tax- and duty-free inflation compensation bonus of €1,000. On 1 January, the hourly wage rate would be increased by €0.95, there would be higher shift bonuses and the annual holiday allowance would be raised by €480. 

Variant 2 had a term of 16 months, an inflation compensation bonus of €1,400, an hourly wage increase of €1.15 from 1 January and shift bonuses and holiday pay increased as in Variant 1. 

Ver.di negotiator Maren Ulbrich said: “It is true that the ZDS has certainly moved in its two most recent proposals and offered real wage increases. However, the proposals do not reflect the necessary wage increases and relief for the employees that they expect from an agreement that is acceptable to them. 

“The employees do hard work at the seaports every day and thus make an enormous contribution to the supply of the population with important goods,” she added.  

Ms Ulbrich warned that “the completely inadequate proposals” at the beginning of the negotiations had “provoked the employees” who were “not prepared to be fobbed off cheaply”, and indicated that further warning strikes may follow.  

Since the contract between ZDS and its employees expired this year, warning strikes have been taking place periodically in the ports of Hamburg, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Brake and Emden. 

Ver.di has appealed to the ZDS to resume negotiations and “improve the offer presented”.